Plans submitted to build bed and breakfast accommodation at Polesworth Social Club

The owners of an ailing social club in Polesworth want to transform the building by adding a number of bedrooms to provide bed and breakfast accommodation.

Westbourne Leisure has submitted plans that would see 25 rooms including the renovated manager's accommodation created inside the function room of Polesworth Social Club.

The scheme would see a mezzanine floor installed, the refurbishment of the High Street premises and work to increase the size of the car park.

In documents sent to North Warwickshire Borough Council, design consultants Upson and Co explained that the future of the club would be in doubt if the work wasn't carried out.

They point out: "Social and members clubs have changed significantly since their original conception and as such, so have the requirements of the current customer base.

"Currently, Polesworth Social Club has two large bars and a large function room. The two large bars are rarely used to capacity and because of its size, the function room has limited demand.

"The proposed development intends to reuse the function room by creating a mezzanine floor providing bed and breakfast accommodation on the ground and first floor, reducing the size of the bar area and providing a function room the size of which is more in keeping with demand.

"In addition, the entire premises will be refurbished and upgraded including new disabled facilities and new fixtures, fittings and decoration."

Westbourne Leisure is a Midlands-based company that specialises in managing licensed premises including Birmingham's Irish Centre.

The plans for Polesworth Social Club indicate that there would be little alteration to the outside of the premises, which was built in the 1960s, other than new rendering and some additional windows.

The design statement warned: "The members bar is ultimately the sole source of income for the club and the business is in real jeopardy without significant investment to create new revenue streams such as overnight accommodation – intended to cater for travelling business people or workmen or women during the week."

It is also hoped that the accommodation and additional car parking will encourage more visitors to the area. Currently they base themselves in Tamworth or further afield.

The public and neighbouring businesses can have their say on the plans up to June 4 and the reference for the application is PAP/2021/0238.

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